Furthermore, the lack of EVs as a mechanic meant that Smeargle had the equivalent of 252 EVs in all stats at once, giving it the bulk to avoid being OHKOed by most non-super effective attacks while still maintaining a good Speed tier. Spikes was also a good option for some teams due to Smeargle's ability to force switches against slower foes with Spore.
Spore also allowed Smeargle to put slower targets to sleep reliably, giving it at least one turn to set up whatever move it wants to Baton Pass away. Disable could also be used to cripple trapped Pokémon further to make them even easier to set up on or to get them to Struggle to death in the process. Trapping moves in GSC (such as Spider Web) maintained their trapping even if passed to a teammate via Baton Pass, giving threats such as Snorlax opportunities to set up with impunity, while other targets can make good use of the Speed boost from Agility. That said, it was still a reasonably viable Pokémon with a stat-boosting set that became the foundation of much of Smeargle's niche in the future while simultaneously being able to trap-pass. Smeargle had somewhat of a slow start in the second generation, as many of the tools it relies upon today simply hadn't been invented. Below are some of the most prominent sets that have been seen since Smeargle's debut in 1999, along with some predictions on what Game Freak has in store for our little Beagle Ross.Ĭlick on the buttons to reveal the details! While Smeargle's poor stats make similarly versatile Pokémon such as Arceus and Mew better choices in general in their respective tiers, base 75 Speed is still enough to pull off some decent sets, and throughout the generations it kept getting blessed with even more powerful tools than before, giving it new niches in every metagame with each release. This means that Smeargle can essentially run any combination of four moves in the game (excluding the microphone-dependent Chatter), making it one of the most versatile Pokémon in existence. This move lets Smeargle copy any move that its opponent uses, permanently, and it learns the move ten times on its long journey up to Lv 100. Nonetheless, Smeargle has endured as one of the most iconic Pokémon from the second generation due to a single move: Sketch.
Like with all art, the design quality is subjective, but it's basically a dog with a paintbrush for a tail, so take it as you will. While many Pokémon are known throughout the ages for their excellent stats, awesome typing, or outstanding design, Smeargle has none of these.